1. We have given our current halves long term contracts that should only have been given if they had won us a premiership. These contracts delete any competition for their spots from any promising juniors coming through. Really these guys have the stage and should have to perform to keep their spots. No need for longer than normal contracts.
2. Ethan Sanders is leaving probably as a result. Some say Lynn is better and Talagi is also a possible half. But Sanders seems to have a leadeship quality about him. From the little I have seen, the other players seem to look up to him and follow. I do not see that in the other halves coming up, who are really 5/8s anyway. It was supposed to be a strong point for JA but I did not see it. DB does not have leadership qualities and Moses wants it and works hard for it but does not seem to have that natural ability to make the players look at him as a natural leader who they reflexly follow and look to for direction. Gutho seems to be doing a better job of captain now, but having a good leader in the halves is something we really need.
Should more have been done to keep Sanders and more risk taken on contracts with the current halves even if it meant losing them?
Not dumping on MM and DB they are one of the best halves combinations in the comp, but they also have their weaknesses and the halves coming through may be better. They may not but why not allow competition for their spots? If they demand long contracts then they do not have the confidence that they will be better than the competition coming through.
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And Ethan Sanders has not played a single NRL minute. We don't even know if his game translates to the NRL. We do know for a fact that Moses & Browns games do. You said it yourself, they are one of the best halves pairings in the league, and their contracts reflect that.
They are rep quality halves but they have weakenesses and are not elite halves, yet anyway. If they fix their weaknesses and/or win a Premiership then sign them for life. But otherwise maybe a little more room should have been found for keeping our halves coming through and having competition for the spots. If they are as good as you say they do not need to worry about competition
They are elite halves Wile, they are top 3 in their respective positions, the fact they haven't won a premiership is not solely on them. Winning a premiership does not make them elite either. This premiership or bust mentality when judging players is pure nonsense. They have weaknesses yes, but name a player who doesn't, even the premiership winning halves have weaknesses.
Az far as competition for spots is concerned, you can name maybe 5 halfbacks and five eights who woukd orivide legit competition for Moses & Brown, and none of them are on our radar. I doubt Cam Munster is gonna want to play NSW Cup for us just do he can put pressure on Dylan. I would further posit we don't actually want our halves under pressure for their spot, we want them to wholly focus on their responsibility rather than looking over their shoulder. That might work for middle forwards and wingers and centres, but not halves.
The club wanted to keep Sanders, they made a salary cap responsible offer to him, but the Raiders clearly offered a starting spot and more money. Short of offering him 600k per year or more, he was never staying.
Everything you said is spot on Brett.
I cannot believe you Wile, that you dont understand this. Do you think Ethan Sanders is an x-factor player, because he has not shown those signs....he is a very good promising player, shite a lot of water has to pass under the bridge to get where Moses and Brown are!
What's more this crap about winning premierships comes back to so many things, do you think Reynolds would be commanding the respect (I think he is the top half at present) if he didn't have the pack that Broncs have got!
Likewise Johnson is in the the same league, Cherry Evans is as good as them but is playing in a dysfunctional club. Cleary is a little different but playing behind the Penrith pack is a huge advantage for him.
Moses and Brown with the Broncs pack would be cutting sides to ribbons, neither of them have the game management skils of Reynolds and Johnson because they are not as experienced as either of them, they really have their best football ahead of them...... I suspect/respect that Cleary is just an exceptional player and whilst I don't like him I cannot deny him.....I used to say the same about Bob Fulton!
Wakey Wakey Wile, hands of Snakey......get a summer job!
Sanders may not be an X but he could be an XY. I think just the X means female from memory and Sanders ain't no female at least I don't think he is.
They're top 3 if you're looking through your Eels lenses maybe .
Maybe, but Mitch is NSW's #2 halfback, so it stands to reason he is at absolute worst, top 5 at the position. But then we'd be ignoring the commentary of many of the games most astute judges. I don't hear any of them say differently.
Dylan is NZ first choice five eight, again at worst top 5. Likewise would have to ignore pretty much all the expert commentary.
Now I know your opinion of those expert opinions, but if this was a court trial, I doubt either attorney is calling Wiz from Dapto as an expert witness on the matter !!!!
I don't think they'd be calling Brettles from Heatley either , especially when he can't see the huge variance between a top 3 and top 5 . For the record I'd agree with top 5 .
Sanders seems to have a natural leadership quality about him which is something we lack and need from our halves
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